The Cardiff swans that you're just as likely to see on the road as on the river

You may well have seen the large groups of swans that have taken over Taffs Mead Embankment just across the river from the Brains brewery and appear to be here to stay

Kynaat Awan

16:02, 29 APR 2019

If you live, work or park alongside the river Taff just outside the city centre, you'll be familiar with the swans.

They gather in large numbers on the riverbank, taking advantage of safety in numbers and the free food being offered by passers-by.

You're most likely to see them on the grassy bank near the railway bridge near Cardiff Central and the Principality Stadium.

But if you live in the area, you know that they explore a lot further afield than that. The swans have become a regular part of the urban wildlife in the streets of Riverside and Grangetown, perhaps spending more time out of the river than in it.

And they often take bolder steps and have ventured out onto the roads.

Read on

Birds of a Different Feather Seen Flocking Together

By Larissa Kyzer

Posted April 8, 2019 

Geese and swans were observed flying together in V-formation over Vík í Mýrdal in South Iceland on Thursday, RÚV reports. While it’s unusual to see two different species flocking together, according to a local ornithologist it is not unheard of.

Birna Viðarsdóttir posted the picture to a Facebook group dedicated to Icelandic bird life and it quickly garnered a great deal of attention, as well as a fair amount of skepticism – particularly since the photo was taken on April 1, April Fools’ Day. “A number of people have asked whether it’s been photoshopped,” she told RÚV, “but it wasn’t.”

Ornithologist Arnór Þórir Sigfússon says that it’s uncommon to see different kinds of birds flying together in V-formation, but it has been known to happen. Although swans and geese both migrate to Iceland from Great Britain around this time of year, Arnór Þór thinks it’s unlikely that this particular group of birds did so together the whole way, mostly because geese and swans fly at different speeds. He said he thought it more likely that the swans in Birna’s picture had joined a group of geese, rather than vice versa.

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Swans hunt for junk food in Lake District town after tourists told to stop feeding them

Sky News 8 March 2019

Swans have been raiding a Lake District town's bins for junk food after tourists were warned to stop feeding it to them.

The birds have been waddling nearly half a mile from Lake Windermere to Bowness-on-Windermere, where they have been scavenging for scraps outside a Tesco supermarket and fast food outlets.

It comes after signs were erected - by an unknown person - urging visitors against throwing fast food or bread to the birds.

Residents are understood to be concerned that the swans could now be hit by cars or attacked by dogs, and that their large size could be intimidating to pedestrians, particularly small children.

Marian Jones, a ranger for the Lake District National Park Authority, said: "One of the reasons swans and other birds are attracted to Bowness is because they're being fed.

"Unfortunately, this can cause health problems for the birds and make them tame, which can put them at risk from traffic and dogs.

"To protect these birds and reduce the risk of accidents, we advise people to not feed them."

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said swans in public spaces can often suffer from serious vitamin deficiencies due to people feeding them bread.

RSPB spokeswoman Annabel Rushton told Sky News: "Fast food should not be fed to swans. Just like us humans, it is not good for them and its grease can get stuck to their feathers making it difficult for them to preen, which they need to do to keep their feathers waterproof.

Read on

Experts urge public to feed bread to swans after malnourished bird dies

The swan was 'massively underweight'

Hilary Mitchell

Daniel Morrow

14:38, 3 FEB 2019

UPDATED15:04, 3 FEB 2019

A rescue charity is urging members of the public to continue feed bread to swans after one bird was found ‘starved to death’.

Swan Support attempted to rescue a malnourished swan they found to have weighed just four kilogrammes in a lake on Thursday, January 24.

Workers at the charity attempted to rescue the young swan, but it had sadly died before it could be properly treated.

Now, the charity has blamed the death of the Hampshire swan on a campaign that called for members of the public to stop feeding them bread.

A leading food brand called WildThings teamed up with rescue charity Swan Lifeline to create the ‘Ban the Bread’ campaign in May 2018.

The campaign claimed that bread can cause muscles to grow to quickly causing a condition called ‘angel wing’ which can result in swans being unable to fly.

It was also said that bread causes a wide range of additional problems, such as damaging changes to their natural ecosystem.

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RSPCA investigates shooting of swans in Kent

Five cygnets and their parents were shot, wrapped in plastic bags and thrown down bank of a stream

Press Association

Mon 3 Dec 2018 12.03 GMTFirst published on Sun 2 Dec 2018 11.40 GMT

A family of swans has been shot and killed in what has been called a “senseless” attack.

The bodies of five cygnets and both of their parents were found wrapped in plastic bags after they were thrown down the bank of a stream in the village of Benenden, in Kent.

Police were called to the scene last Sunday and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has launched an investigation.

Two of the birds’ bodies were examined by staff at RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife Centre in Hastings, East Sussex. 

“It’s clear that these poor mute swans have been shot and killed deliberately – one of the birds was peppered with pellets,” said RSPCA inspector Dave Grant.

“It’s absolutely disgusting that someone would purposefully target and kill these beautiful birds, and it’s heartbreaking that an entire family has been wiped out in this cruel incident.”

PC Daniel Perry said: “Kent police was called at around 10am on 24 November to a report that a number of swans were found dead in plastic bags by a stream in Stepneyford Lane in Benenden.

“Officers from the rural task force attended to carry out inquiries at the scene, and are continuing to assist the RSPCA to establish the circumstances of the incident.”

• This agency report was amended on 3 December 2018 to take account of new information that the weapon used in the attack was likely not to have been an air gun.

Source

Queen's personal swan guard hits out at RSPB's 'ban the bread' advice which he says is starving the regal birds

Successful campaign discouraged the tradition as being unhealthy to swans

Queen's Swan Marker, David Barker, says 'there is no good reason' for the notion 

Swan numbers are plummeting and they are malnourished as a result

Mr Barker says swans are even straying into busy roads in search of fodder 

By ROSS IBBETSON FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 17:53, 14 November 2018 | UPDATED: 18:24, 14 November

Thousands of majestic swans are going hungry this year after a viral campaign urged people to stop feeding them bread - despite it being perfectly healthy for them.

The Queen's personal swan guard has slammed the campaigners for 'starving' the swans - because people have stopped feeding them bread.

'Ban the Bread' was a highly successful campaign, officially launched by rescue charity Swan Lifeline and backed by the RSPB's advice, which claimed the centuries-old pastime is harming birds.

But the Queen's Swan Marker David Barker, Member of the Royal Victorian Order, said there is 'no good reason' not to feed the swans bread and that many are underweight as a result of the ban.

The Queen is accompanied by the Royal Swan Marker, David Barker, as they watch the Swan Upping on the River Thames near Windsor, July 2009

The charity Swan Lifeline ran an extremely successful 'Ban the Bread' campaign which discouraged members of the public from feeding the birds bread

Mr Barker, the country's leading ceremonial swan expert, added that they are put at further risk by wandering onto roads in search of food, because they are not getting fed.

The campaign also falsely claims bread causes the syndrome 'angel wing' - which is a birth defect and cannot be caused in later life.

Mr Barker said the coverage of the campaign has been inaccurate and 'confusing' for the public.

He added: 'Supporters of the campaign claim that bread should not be fed to swans on the grounds that it is bad for them. This is not correct.

'Swans have been fed bread for many hundreds of years without causing any ill effects.

'While bread may not be the best dietary option for swans compared to their natural food such as river weed, it has become a very important source of energy for them, supplementing their natural diet and helping them to survive the cold winter months when vegetation is very scarce.

'There is no good reason not to feed bread to swans, provided it is not mouldy.

'Most households have surplus bread and children have always enjoyed feeding swans with their parents.'

The concept that bread could be bad for aquatic life gained traction this year but the effects of it can already be seen.

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More swans are 'stolen' from Radipole Lake bird reserve in Weymouth

14th September

More swans have gone missing from a Weymouth bird reserve.

A week after the Dorset Echo reported the sad news that a family of mute swans were feared dead after being taken from the RSPB Radipole Lake reserve, it has been revealed that more of the protected birds have been targeted.

Swan warden at Radipole Lake Derek Davey claims a further nine birds, including some cygnets, have been stolen by thieves. This is on top of the seven which were taken previously and reported to police.

Police have said there is nothing to suggest the original family of swans were stolen.

The RSPB has also suggested an animal could be responsible, but that it was a 'mystery'.

Mr Davey is adamant that human thieves are at work.

He would not speculate on why the swans are being removed and by whom but said it was possible the birds were being targeted for food.

He has again asked people to be vigilant and to report any suspicious behaviour.

Swans are protected under the 1981 Wildlife Countryside Act which makes it illegal to keep or kill them.

Read more  

Swans stolen from RSPB Radipole Lake bird reserve in Weymouth

7th September

By Martin Lea  @DorsetEchoMart

A family of swans are feared dead after being stolen from a Weymouth bird reserve in a shocking theft which has left wardens saddened.

Thieves ‘forcibly removed’ the protected birds – two adults and five cygnets – from their home in Radipole Lake.

Shockingly, some entrails were found along with feathers in a ‘neat pile’ close to where the swans rest up at night in the inner part of the lake. It is accessed by the Buddleia Loop trail towards the northern end of the popular wetlands reserve.

It is thought the thieves parked their vehicle used to transport the birds on the nearby Weymouth Way as a feather trail was discovered leading out of the reserve to a lay-by on the road.

Wardens say the theft of so many swans in one raid is ‘unheard of.’

Swans are protected under the 1981 Wildlife Countryside Act which makes it illegal to keep or kill them.

The theft has been reported to the police and visitors to the reserve are being asked to be vigilant for any suspicious activity in case the thieves strike again.

Swan warden Derek Davey said it was a ‘sad case’.

He said: “Five cygnets and two adult swans have gone missing from the inner part of Radipole Lake. The swans were found to be missing earlier in the week.

“Evidence points to the swans being removed, by whom it is not yet known.”

He added: “I have no idea why anyone would take them but I suspect harm has come to them. They have been removed by force.”

Mr Davey said the swans could not have flown away as one of the adults is in molt and the cygnets were also unable to fly. Also, swans are very territorial so other birds would not have let the family move onto their patch.

He added: “The missing swans have been reported to the police, and I ask people to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity around the Radipole Lake nature reserve, to take note of any vehicles and call the police on 101.”

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Bird rescue group dealing with unusual number of injured swans

Thursday, August 16th 2018, 11:01 pm BDTThursday, August 16th 2018, 11:15 pm BDT

By: Chelsea Donovan, General Assignment Reporter

A local bird rescue group says it has received six injured swans in 30 days. The birds from southeastern North Carolina require constant care.

"It is very unusual for us to receive this many at a time with various injuries," said volunteer Amelia Nash with Skywatch Bird Rescue.

Two of the injured swans came from Landfall, one came from Leland and another from Myrtle Beach.

"Many have to be tube fed," Nash said. "There are various injuries to wings, one with a limp, and the small cygnet has what we call angel wing, where it was fed poorly when it was young so the wing did not grow outward. It now can't fly."

It is costing the New Hanover County rescue group about $200 a month per swan for the rehabilitation process.

"These swans are not native species," Nash said. "They came over long ago from Europe so they can survive, but they cannot thrive here."

Nash said people like to have swans as pets for decorative purposes in their ponds, but doing so can shorten their lifespan.

"People buy these for ornamental purposes, but these birds are so far from home, they can't survive," Nash said. "People think they are helping when they give them bread and corn — empty nutrients — but it really adds to their detriment."

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Power lines adapted after Lincolnshire swan deaths

New safety measures have been added to overhead power lines near a nature reserve after reports of swans being killed by them.

Posting on social media, ornithologist Josh Jones said a number of swans had been killed by power lines on Baston Fen, Lincolnshire.

He said the wires were close to feeding grounds used by the mute swans.

Western Power Distribution said it had fitted diverters to make the lines stand out to birds in flight.

Mr Jones, who works for Birdguides magazine, said he spotted four dead swans along a short stretch of road while out bird watching at the weekend.

"They were in various states of decay, some looked fairly fresh, and some looked like they had been there a couple of weeks," he said.

"It was quite a disturbing find."

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Hunt for thugs after family of swans shot dead

Sick thugs shot and killed three swans on the Grand Union Canal in Slough.

Two of the birds, a male and his cygnet, were from the same family – while the third was a young male.

A fourth bird, the cygnet’s mother, was also shot and is currently with vets who are trying to save her life in intensive care.

Berkshire-based charity Swan Lifeline took to Facebook to share the sad news. They said: ‘We are desperately sad and angered that this afternoon a family of swans have been shot on The Grand Union canal in Slough.

‘This has been enormously distressing for our staff, rescuers and all involved.

 ‘This has been a truly horrid day, we are sorry if the photographs are upsetting but we feel the need to publicise this as much as possible.’

The charity, from Eton, said that police had been told and added: ‘Tell the call handler that you are reporting a wildlife crime and you will be put through to the correct person.

 ‘It is vital that reports are kept under the same reference number as Swan Lifeline have the evidence of the two swans that died as a result of this dreadful incident.

‘Thank you to everyone for your support and let’s hope that someone out there has information that will help catch the perpetrators of this appalling crime.’

Swan Support, from Datchet, Berkshire, found the fourth swan on the same day.

They wrote: ‘It is with sadness that we have to report that today we picked up a swan from the canal in Slough Langley that had been shot.

‘The bird was already dead when we arrived. This is not the first time we have been called to attend incidents such as this in this particular location.’

If you have any information contact Thames Valley Police on 101 and use crime reference number 43170257314.

Source: 

ON A WING AND A PRAYER

Little girl, five, writes to the Queen asking permission for a pet swan – and gets an unexpected reply

The Queen has taken 'careful note' of Lyndsay's request, according to the palace

By John Shammas

2nd September 2017, 10:16 pm

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl wrote a letter to the Queen asking if she could keep a pet swan for the weekend - and even got a response from the Palace.

Lyndsay Simpson wrote an adorable letter to Her Majesty promising to look after the bird at home

The animal-loving youngster wrote to the Queen after her mother Jennifer Bax, 35, told her she owned all the swans in the UK.

And in a heartfelt reply, Jennie Vine, a deputy correspondence co-ordinator at the palace on behalf of Her Majesty, thanked her for the request.

She also said the Queen had taken a "careful note" of her comments - but explained the belief she owned all the swans was a common misconception dating back centuries.

The letter explained: "Her Majesty owns mute swans and only exercises her right of ownership over swans on certain parts of the River Thames."

They also said the Queen was encouraged to hear of Lyndsay's love of swans, and sent her a booklet on royal swan upping - an annual ceremony where the birds are caught, ringed and released - to help her learn more.

Source   

Deal struck after bird lover fined £100 for feeding swans at Coventry park

Michael Rennie was told he was "depositing litter" by feeding the birds

Ben Eccleston

16:00, 17 FEB 2017

A compromise has been struck between a pensioner and council chiefs after he was fined £100 for feeding swans.

Police were called after Michael Rennie was handed two penalty notices for feeding the birds at Quinton Park, in Cheylesmore.

He was told his actions constituted “depositing litter” and was handed two £50 fines.

Mr Rennie originally refused to give his details to the Coventry City Council employee after he asked her for some ID, which was also refused, and police were called.

Officers eventually arrived but West Midlands Police confirmed that no action was taken.

The 63-year-old retired cleaner and driver said he had no intentions to pay the money, but has come to an agreement that he will pay one of the fines, and in return the council will drop the other penalty.

Mr Rennie had took it upon himself to feed the swans after they had started wandering across a busy road searching for food.

On the advice of the RSPB, he began giving them grain and lettuce.

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Aggressive swan killed by state; local man says pair were friendly

By John Penney

Posted Apr 20, 2016 at 5:08 PM

Updated Apr 21, 2016 at 11:50 AM 

KILLINGLY — State wildlife officials killed a swan on Wednesday after the animal reportedly attacked several people on a Danielson waterway, an outcome a local man said could have been handled in a much more humane manner.

The male swan was protecting a nesting area on Five Mile Pond, said Dennis Schain, spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“Earlier this week, we were notified that a husband and wife out on the water were attacked by the swan, but were able to make it to shore,” he said. “A short time later, the same swan went after two boys in a canoe, causing the boat to tip over."

State employees caught the animal on Wednesday and snapped its neck, a widely used euthanizing technique in such situations, Schain said.

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Bloodied bird rescued from Mirfield lake after swan territory war

07:00, 18 APR 2016

BY MARTIN SHAW

Swans mate for life but can be brutal in territory wars

A swan who lost her mate has been brutally attacked on a Mirfield lake – by another pair of swans.

The female swan, who had lived at Ladywood Lakes, off Steanard Lane, for several years, was left bleeding and exhausted.

She was rescued by a fisherman who called in experts from Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital at Barlow near Selby.

The swan was captured and taken to the sanctuary on Friday. She will remain there for several days but is expected to make a full recovery.

Sanctuary founder Dan Sidley said swans mate for life and, tragically, the swan’s mate was killed in flight a few months ago when he collided with overhead power cables.

Since then she had been alone and vulnerable.

“Swans are quite a ferocious breed and very territorial,” said Dan. “They can be brutal at times.

“Swans mate for life but if one of them dies they do find other partners. We had high hopes this swan would move on after her partner died but that’s not happened.

 “Another pair of swans have come onto the lake and there has been a battle for the water and she’s come off worst.

“We’ve taken her in and she’s in a pen on her own while we monitor her. She’s exhausted and seems to be in a state of shock.

“It looks like she was chased around the lake until she could escape no more. Swans are quite hardy birds so she should recover.”

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